Max Verstappen makes GT World Challenge debut at Portimao with Valentino Rossi in 61-car field

Max Verstappen will use Formula 1's free weekend between Singapore and Austin to go GT racing. The four-time world champion is entered in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup finale at Portimao in Portugal, and the official entry list puts him in a 61-car field that also includes MotoGP great Valentino Rossi. The three-hour race is on Saturday, 17 October, which is midnight going into Sunday, 18 October, in Malaysia.

Verstappen's car and team-mates

Verstappen drives the No.3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO for Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing, his own outfit, in the top Pro class. He shares the car with two experienced GT drivers, Ben Barnicoat and Chris Lulham. The organisers say this is his debut in the series. He announced the entry in early October, after earlier GT outings including the Nurburgring 24 Hours.

The timing fits around his F1 schedule. Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix from pole on 11 October, and the United States Grand Prix in Austin follows on 23-25 October. Portimao is the only October weekend without an F1 race.

Rossi and a crowded Pro class

Rossi is in the No.46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO for Team WRT, also in the Pro class, with Neil Verhagen and Max Hesse. Speaking in early October, Verstappen called Rossi "a very cool guy" but said he would rather not see him on track during the race.

Nineteen of the 61 cars are entered in Pro. They include the No.48 Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter car of Lucas Auer, Maro Engel and Luca Stolz. That trio have already won the 2026 Endurance Cup drivers' title, which they clinched at the Nurburgring. Other classes are Gold, Silver and Bronze, which are decided by how the driver line-ups are graded, not by the type of car. The series says more than 60 GT3 cars from 10 manufacturers will take part.

Weekend schedule in Malaysia time

According to the published timetable for the Algarve event, which is labelled a draft and could change:

• Qualifying: Friday, 16 October, 5.55pm to 7.05pm Portugal time, which is 12.55am to 2.05am on Saturday, 17 October, in Malaysia.
• Race: Saturday, 17 October, 5pm to 8pm Portugal time, which is midnight to 3am on Sunday, 18 October, in Malaysia.

Portugal is on summer time (UTC+1) until 25 October, so it is seven hours behind Malaysia. Practice runs on Friday morning in Portugal. Support races, including the GT4 European Series and McLaren Trophy Europe, fill the rest of the weekend.

What is still at stake

The Endurance Cup drivers' crown is settled. The series says the overall title and the Gold and Bronze Cup titles will be decided at Portimao. For Verstappen, the weekend is a one-off. Red Bull's focus returns to Austin straight after, where Kimi Antonelli could clinch the F1 drivers' title.

Key takeaways

• Verstappen drives the No.3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO with Ben Barnicoat and Chris Lulham in the Pro class.
• Valentino Rossi is also in the Pro class, in Team WRT's No.46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
• The three-hour race starts at 5pm local time on 17 October, which is midnight on 18 October in Malaysia.
• There are 61 cars on the official entry list, 19 of them in Pro.
• The race falls in F1's only free October weekend, before the US Grand Prix on 23-25 October.

FAQ

When does Verstappen's Portimao race start in Malaysia? The race runs from 5pm to 8pm Portugal time on Saturday, 17 October. That is midnight to 3am on Sunday, 18 October, in Malaysia. Qualifying is early on Saturday, 17 October, Malaysia time.

Who are Verstappen's co-drivers? He shares the No.3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO with Ben Barnicoat and Chris Lulham, under the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing name.

Will this affect Verstappen's preparation for the US Grand Prix? The Portimao race is one week before the Austin weekend on 23-25 October, and there is no F1 race in between. Red Bull has not indicated any change to his Austin programme.

Sources: GT World Challenge Europe, PlanetF1, The Race, Crash.net, Autosport